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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TOPHAT" data-source="post: 160726" data-attributes="member: 781">PREGAME PREPS<a href="http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070810/PKR01/708100602/1057/PKR&located=RSS" target="_blank">http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070810/PKR01/708100602/1057/PKR&located=RSS</a>Offensive line is up for a challenge There's a quiet optimism about the Green Bay Packers' offensive line that could be authenticated or shattered in Saturday's preseason opener at Pittsburgh.   For nearly two weeks, the coaches and scouts have watched the group perform with a cohesiveness that wasn't present at this time a year ago when it got destroyed in the preseason opener at San Diego. Though it's the position group that's perhaps toughest to evaluate based on training camp practices and one scrimmage, there are reasons to believe the group will be much improved.  For starters, guards Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz aren't rookies anymore. A year ago at this time, they never had played in an NFL game. Now, they have 15 and 13 starts, respectively, under their belts. Scott Wells is entering his fourth NFL season and his second as a full-time starter at center. It's the second year in coach Mike McCarthy's offensive system, meaning the difficult-to-learn zone blocking scheme should be closer to second nature. Less tangible but no less important is the chemistry that should exist within a group that returns all five starters. All of that sounds good, but until the offensive line puts it to use in a practical setting, it's just guesswork.  "I think you need to see them in a situation where you haven't got it all scripted and don't know what's coming," said offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, who was the line coach last season. "They did some real nice things (in the scrimmage). We were pleased with the first group. That was a situation where they didn't know what plays (were coming). It looks like they've made some strides, and we hope that continues." McCarthy and Philbin should be able to gauge how far the line has progressed following Saturday's exhibition against the Steelers. Pittsburgh plays the same 3-4 defense than the Chargers used to beat the Packers a year ago. In that game, starting quarterback Brett Favre took 20 snaps and was sacked twice and hit at least three other times. On the first two possessions, the No. 1 offense totaled minus-3 yards. Backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers also faced considerable pressure.  Like San Diego, the Steelers love to blitz from all directions and, according to Philbin, they blitzed on nine of the first 10 snaps against New Orleans in Sunday's Hall of Fame game. "We feel better about where we're at today than we did last Aug. 10," Philbin said. "I think our guys have a better understanding of the system. We think they're better fundamentally than they were a year ago at this time. We're confident that we can match up with people and protect the quarterback." If that's the case, then it not only will help keep pressure off Favre, but it could open the passing the game. In many cases last season, McCarthy was forced to adjust protections and keep in an extra blocker or two. For example, in the base offense (two backs, two receivers and a tight end), if McCarthy felt he had to protect with seven, he had to keep either both backs or a back and a tight end in. "I think it remains to be seen," said Rodgers, when asked if the coaches again will have to use a lot of seven-man protections. "That depends on how we can block in the preseason and how much time we can give Brett. Really, (the preseason) was a microcosm of our inability to protect with six last year." Six-man protection is fairly common in the NFL given how often defenses blitz, but seven is a bit more extreme. "I'm much more confident we can block with five or six," Wells said. "Having another year in the system with the same guys will help a lot. We understand the offense more, so I'm fairly confident. Obviously, we have to show it, but I think our recognition is a lot better. I know last year, going into the opener, we were surprised by a couple of zone (blitzes). We didn't pick them up at all. Now, we know we're going against a team that likes to blitz, and we've got another year of experience." It may be tougher to tell what strides the line has made in the zone blocking scheme in part because McCarthy likely will use only a few core running plays in the preseason. Also, there's a certain rhythm needed for the running game to succeed, and that's often tougher to find in the early preseason games, when the starters play only a few series.   "We're not quite the smooth operating machine that we're going to be, hopefully," Philbin said.  The Packers also like their offensive line depth better than a year ago. Rookie fourth-round draft pick Allen Barbre has held his own at left guard and in any other year, might be in the mix for a starting job. Second-year pro Tony Moll started 10 games last season (five each at right guard and right tackle) and is considered a better-than-adequate backup at either right-side position.</blockquote>

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